Hinata's Strength

Lu Yu teased Hinata for a while longer, only stopping once the young girl's face was flushed a deep crimson and she looked on the verge of fainting.

"Alright, Hinata! Let's start training! Believe in me, today you will definitely be able to execute the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Upon hearing Lu Yu's words, the shyness on Hinata's face vanished, replaced by a serious expression as she looked at him.

"Yes, Lu Yu-kun!"

Seeing the intense fighting spirit radiating from Hinata's eyes, Lu Yu nodded to himself.

Young people should have aspirations, after all, the pursuit of strength is a fine goal.

Unlike himself, who seemed to have no aspirations left...

As early as four years ago, when Naruto became proficient in using the Shadow Clone Technique, he would transform into Hinata to attend class in her stead.

As for the obedient Hinata, under Lu Yu's influence, she had inevitably gone astray.

Over four years of constant companionship, Hinata's heart had become filled with Lu Yu. The little girl didn't understand the complexities of romance, but she felt an immense sense of panic whenever she couldn't see him for a while.

If her actions could earn Lu Yu's approval, it felt as sweet as honey in her heart.

Because of this, Hinata put her all into everything Lu Yu told her to do, which caused her strength to skyrocket like a rocket taking off.

One moment Hinata was acting like a shy little girl, but the next, as soon as Lu Yu mentioned training, she immediately entered the zone.

Lu Yu believed that if Hinata and Hanabi were to fight now, Hinata would likely make Hanabi question her entire existence.

Lu Yu brought Hinata into the woods and watched her state with satisfaction.

"Hinata, attack with everything you've got! Don't hold back!"

"Right, Lu Yu-kun, Byakugan!"

In an instant, Hinata activated her Byakugan, raised her hands into the starting stance of the Gentle Fist Style, and looked at Lu Yu.

"Lu Yu-kun, be careful!"

Swish—

As her voice fell, Hinata's figure rushed toward Lu Yu at high speed, moving nearly twice as fast as she had during their first spar.

The next moment, Lu Yu and Hinata clashed. Hinata's offensive was extremely fierce, each palm strike erupting with a gust of wind.

Lu Yu remained calm and composed, blocking her strikes without dodging or counterattacking; his goal now was to help Hinata break through to the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

As a princess of the Hyuga Clan, Hinata's talent was top-tier. The reason she had seemed so mediocre in the past was entirely due to her personality.

After Hinata attacked continuously for a while, Lu Yu deliberately exposed a flaw, stepping back half a step to give her the perfect attacking distance.

"Now is the time!"

Accurately seizing the opening, Hinata shifted into a new stance. Suddenly, a Eight Trigrams formation appeared beneath her feet, and she lunged toward Lu Yu.

"Gentle Fist Style: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

"Two palms!"

"Four palms!"

"Eight palms!"

"Sixteen palms!"

"Thirty-two palms!"

Hinata's hands moved like phantoms, striking rapidly at the various acupoints on Lu Yu's body. The intensity of her assault was dazzling.

In just a brief moment, she had unleashed thirty-two strikes with incredible speed.

Yet, Lu Yu remained as calm as ever, perfectly blocking every single strike Hinata threw his way.

At this moment, a flash of competitiveness crossed Hinata's eyes. The speed at which her chakra circulated within her body increased, and her striking speed followed suit.

"Sixty-four palms!"

Seeing Hinata instantly unleash an even denser barrage of attacks, Lu Yu hesitated for a split second. This time, he didn't block, instead shielding his front with his arms.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

The next moment, Hinata's attacks all erupted against Lu Yu's arms in an instant.

Lu Yu was sent sliding backward.

Once he steadied himself, he looked at Hinata with a smile.

"Congratulations, Hinata! You did it. I'm no longer a match for you now."

Hinata's pretty face was full of joy. She covered her mouth and laughed as she looked at Lu Yu.

"Lu Yu-kun, you were clearly going easy on me. But I still want to thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't think I could have ever reached this level."

Lu Yu shook his head, walked over to Hinata, reached out to ruffle her hair, and said seriously:

"Silly girl, your talent is immense. That you have this level of strength today is mostly due to your own hard work over these years, so... be more confident."

Looking at Lu Yu's earnest expression, Hinata blushed, nodded, and let out a soft "Mm."

Seeing Hinata like this, Lu Yu smiled slightly.

"Alright, while I'm still in the zone, let's practice more. I'll rest for a bit."

Seeing Hinata successfully break through her bottleneck, Lu Yu felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him, his true lazy nature exposed.

In truth, it was only because it was Hinata that Lu Yu could even bother to spar with her. If anyone else wanted him to get up from his lounge chair, it would be absolutely impossible.

"Okay, alright, Lu Yu-kun. I'll work hard."

Hinata nodded as she watched Lu Yu, her gaze filled with adoration as he left.

Just how strong was this man?

For four years, no matter how hard Hinata practiced, she never felt like she had any chance of catching up to Lu Yu.

As for the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms that had pushed Lu Yu back earlier?

Don't be ridiculous. Hinata knew very well that Lu Yu had done that deliberately to encourage her.

Lu Yu bid farewell to Hinata and quickly returned to his base. He glanced at the five-meter-long small boat he had built not long ago, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly:

"A lazy person's life is truly colorful. I'll just enjoy the breeze on the lake this noon..."